Engine



Dec. 24, 1935. A. J. MEYER Q 29 ENGINE Filed April 50, 1932 INVENTOR.

I BY

ATTORNEX Patented Dec. 24, 19 35 PATENT OFFICE ENGINE Andre J. Meyer, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Continental Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Virginia Application April 30, 1932, Serial No. 608,367

' Claims. (Cl.12355) This invention relates to internal combustion engines and has, among its objects, the provision of improvements for materially simplifying the production and machining of engines, reducing the weight of the engine for a given power output, and strengthening the engine parts.

A further object of my invention resides in the provision of an improved crankshaft bearing structure whereby the bearing loads are distributed to advantage over relatively large areas preferably in all directions whereby the unit pressures are materially reduced for added engine strength and reduction in weight. While such advantages are important in all engines, they are of great signiflcancein aircraft engines.

- A further object of my invention resides in the provision of improved means for securing parts of the engine together, such as the frame partsforming the stress receiving engine structure. In carrying out this phase of my invention I have illustrated a V-type engine having longitudinal rows of cylinders. The cylinder blocksections are tied together in an improvedmanner, together with an improved assembly of the crank- 5 case cover which is loaded by the crankshaft bearings. The engine may be operated in the position shown or may be inverted as desired. My invention in its broader aspectsis not limited to engines having V-arranged cylinders-as such cylinders may be arranged in many of the well known ways.

Further objects andadvantages of my invention will be apparent as this specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing illustrative of one embodiment of my invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation view transversely of the engine through a pair of companion V- cylinders,

' Fig, 2 is a side view of a part of the engine with a portion thereof broken away to show a section through a typical crankshaft bearing,

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view through the inner end portion of one of the cylinders, as along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view showing the .bolt or tie rod interengagement along the line' 4-4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation view illustrating a typical articulated connecting rod assembly for a pair of companion V-cylinders.

, In the drawing the engine A has rows or banks of cylinders in V formation although many of the features of my invention are not necessarily limited to any particular arrangement of cylinders. A pair of companion cylinders I0 and I I are shown in Fig. l, the description being limited to one cylinder hereinafter as all of the engine cylinders are similarly constructed and have similar parts associated therewith. Cylinder l0, 5 for example, has the usual intake and exhaust ports l2 and 13 respectively, the intake and exhaust manifolds being represented at l4 and I5 respectively. Within the cylinder is located the sleeve valve means, herein shown as a single sleeve 1: valve l6 of the aforesaid combined movement type whereby any point on the sleeve traces a closed curve path with respect to the cylinder wall, the

curve being usually in the general form of an ellipse or circle. Within sleeve i6 is a piston ll 15 actuating connecting rods 18 for rotating crankshaft l9, the connecting rods I8 of cylinders l0 and l I being articulated in the customary manner as indicated in Fig. 5.

The two cylinder rows respectively are aligned with cylinders 10 and H and are separately cast to form companion cylinder block sections B and C joined vertically at 20, then around the crankshaft bearings at 2| and terminating horizontally at 22. A bearing housing cap 23 forms the crankcase cover or oil pan 'and takes the downward thrust from crankshaft bearing portion 24, the latter having a companion bearing portion 25.

'The bearing portions 24 and 25 form a relatively large ring, opening centrally at 26 to receive bush- 30 ing 21 for the crankshaft bearing 28, the ring having a peripheral annular recess 29 which receives the annular projection 30 formed on the cap 23 and the companion projections 3| formed around the cylinder block sections B and C. Fasteners 32 hold the bearing portions 24 and 25 in assembled position but do not take the load from the crankshaft, this load being transmitted through the bearing portions 24 and 25 to the cap 23 downwardly and to the block sections B and C upwardly, the transverse webs 33 bracing the portions of the block sections having the projections 38. Thus, I have provided a relatively large area around the bearing ring distributing the load over a large area and keeping the unit pressures relatively low, the bearing parts at the same timebeing capable of ready machining. The small fasteners or bolts32 hold the bearing ring parts 2E and 25 together for machining prior to assembly and these bolts prevent the crankshaft I 9 from dropping out when the cap 23 is removed. It will further be noted that cap 23 is loaded in tension without bending, this load being taken up by tension bolts or rods 34, best shown in Fig. 4. These rods extend through companion bosses 35, 36 respectively carried by cap 23 and block sections B and C, the inner ends of the rods 34 carrying enlarged thrust anchors 31 having an opening 38. The opposed rods 34 have their openings 38 aligned to receive the cross-rods or tie bolts 39 for securing the block sections B and C together, the bolts 40 at the top and bottom of. the block sections further assisting. My construction embodying anchors 31 avoids threading'the rods 34 into the metal which often results in the rods pulling free. The load in the tension rods 34 finds a support to some extent in bosses 4| but primarily in cross-rods. The cross-bolts 39 and suspended I-bolts 34 take substantially all of the stresses away from the crank-case structure associated with these bolts, and such structure may therefore be formed of aluminum or other light alloy with resulting engine weight reduction. The tension rods 34 place the cross-rods 39 in shear, the latter being supported by the portions of the block sections B and C outwardly from projections 3| in the regions indicated at 42. If desired the tension bolts 34 may be cast in place in the block sections B and C and cross-bolts 39 threaded into openings 38 during assembly. My construction further makes possible forming the bearing portions 24 and 25 of aluminum ifv desired. My invention provides a simple bolting construction forming a stress taking skeleton framework for the engine, without embedding the bolts in the castings for an anchorage. The sleeve driving mechanism illustrated at is described in detail and claimed in my copending application, Ser. No. 608,366, filed April 30, 1932. In general this consists in a valve shaft 43 between the block sections B and C, the valve shaft having at suitable points along its length the driving gears 44 rotating driven gears 45 and cross-shafts 46, the latter carrying swinging cranks 41 pivoted at 48. The outer ends of the cranks have sockets 49 receiving ball portions' 50 carried by sleeves [6 whereby the sleeves are operated with a combined oscillating and reciprocating movement in performing the well known valving functions of the engine. The

- ball portions 50 are carried by sleeve driving lugs 5| which operate in cylinder openings 52 bounded by removable cylinder sections 53 shown in Fig. 3. The sections 53 provide continuations of the inner ends of the cylinders forsleeve bearing and also permit insertion of the sleeves from the crankcase end of the cylinders, such features also be- While I have shown and described one embodi-' ment of my invention in detail it is not my intention to limit my invention to such' detail parts since various changes and modifications will be readily apparent from the teachings of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an engine, a frame structure having a cylinder and provided with a crankcase portion, a crankcase cover, said crankcase portion .and cover providing an opening, a bearing ring within said opening, a cross bolt extending through'said bearing ring and crankcase portion, a crankshaft bearing in said ring, and a bolt extending transversely of said cross-bolt at each side of said crankshaft for securing said cover to said frame structure, said bolts being anchored to said crossbolt.

2. In an engine, a frame structure having a cylinder and provided with a crankcase portion, a crankcase cover, saidcrankcase portion and cover providing an opening, a bearing ring within said opening, a cross-bolt extending through said crankcase portion and bearing ring, a crankshaft bearing in said ring, and a bolt extending transversely of said cross-bolt at each side of said crankshaft for securingsaid cover to said frame structure, said bolts being anchored to said crossbolt and being adapted to transmit the load of said cover to said cross-bolt.

3. In an engine, companion cylinder block sections each having a crankcase portion formed with companion arcuat-e flanges, a crankcase cover secured to said crankcase portions and having an arcuate flange, said flanges cooperating to provide a circular recess within the engine crankcase, a, crankshaft, and a bearing ring supporting the crankshaft, said bearing ring being fitted within said circular recess, and a cross-bolt extending transversely of the crankcase through saidbearing ring adapted to connect said cyl- 'inder block sections and to secure said bearing the crankshaft, said bearing ring being secured within said circular recess, and a cross-bolt extending transversely of the crankcase through sections and cover in position, said bolts and cover 6 together forming a frame around the crankshaft.

ANDRE J. MEYER. 

